The long-term objective of this multidimensional interdisciplinary research project is to characterize the genetic factors involved in the determination of predisposition to alcoholism. This substantial undertaking involves the expertise of biochemists. clinicians, geneticists, neuropsychologists, neurophysiologists and statisticians. Since no single group in the field of alcohol studies includes the expertise and experience necessary for a comprehensive study, we have formed a Consortium of researchers to design, implement and coordinate this collaborative genetic investigation. We propose a "coordinating center" which is a fully integrated center "without walls", whose structures insures the full participation of a multidisciplinary scientific team of senior investigators with different expertise. Indeed, the inclusion of five sites (SUNY Health Science Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, University of California at San Dieg and Scripps Clinic an& Research Foundation. University of Connecticut Healt Center, Washington University Medical Center) is imperative to bring the full range of " state-of-the-art" expertise and experience to bear on scientific issues. The molecular biology and qenome mapping studies will be located at Indiana University, Scripps Clinic and Washington University. The development of clinical assessment will take place at University of Connecticut, Universit of California at San Diego and Washington University and the blood markers will be analyzed at Indiana University. The analysis of neuropsychological data will take place at University of Connecticut. The repository of neurophysiological data will be at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, and data analysis as well as development of new neurophysiological data analytic techniques will be conducted at SUNY Healt Science Center and University of Connecticut. The conduct and analysis of ethanol challenge studies will be conduct primarily at University of California at, San Diego in collaboration with Indiana University. Finally, the overall management and analyses of data will be conducted at Indiana University and Washington University and will include segregation and linkage analyses.